Ferrule for canes



(No Model.) I

. C. -DEGBNHART PERRULB POR' GANES, am.

No. 281,245. Ptented July 17, 1883.

F1-Gla.

FIG.1.

UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

CHARLES DEGENHART, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

FERRULE FOR CANES, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,245, dated July' 17, 1883.

Application filed February 2, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that- I, `GnAnLns DEGENHART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFerrules for Canes, Umbrellas, 815e., of which thefollowing is a specication.

rj his is an improvement on those cane-ferrules which are provided with a hard bearingpoint, capable of being concealed when desired, and of being exposed for the purpose of obtaining a secure hold on pavements, &c., when the latter arcjcovered with ice and snow.

My invention consists inproviding such ferrules with a screwthreaded shoe made wholly of metal and solid at its lower end, in order that it may afford a durable bearing for the cane or crutch when the point is concealed, said point being preferably a fixture to the ferrule, as hereinafter more fully described. The point, however, may be temporarily screwed into the ferrule, and when not in use can be housed within a chamber at the upper end of the cane, said chamber being concealed by the head of the cane or other support, as hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out inV the claims.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 represents a portion of the lower end of a cane pro- -vided with my improved ferrule, the shoe being engaged with the latter. Fig. 2 is an axial section of the device, the shoe being shown detaehed from the ferrule. Fig. 3 represents a modification. of the device, the shoe being applied thereto. Fig. a shows the same modification of the ferrule, but having the detachable'point screwed into it. Fig. 5 represents this modified form of the device applied to a cane having a chambered head, the pointbeing inclosed within the latter and the shoe detached.

A represents the lower portion of an uur brella, cane, walking-stick, crutch, or other similar support, the tenen of which, B, is secured in the ferrule C either with a rivet, l), or by being screwed therein. The ferrnle is of any suitable size and shape, and terminates at its lower end with an externally-threaded neck, E, adapted to engage with the female screw F of the metallic shoe Gr, the latter having a square H, wherewith it is readily turned either to the right or left.

l I is a sharp conical point, made of steel or other hard metal, said point hi ving a stem or shank, J, that is driven firmly into an axial hole of the neck E. Y

During the summer the metallic shoe G His screwed onto the ferrule C, thereby concealing and protecting the point, as seen in Fig. l; but when the sidewalks become slippery said shoe can be readily unscrewed from the neck after grasping the square II with the fingers, which removal of the shoe leaves the point I free to be inserted in the snow and ice, so as to obtaina very secure hold therein, and thus prevent the user of the cane falling and injuring himself. This effectii-*e position of the point is seen in Fig. 2.

In the modification of my invent-ion as .illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 the neck E is omitted from the ferrule, and the lower end of the latter has a' female thread, K, tapped in it, which thread receives either the threaded shank g of the metallic shoe, or a similar shank,

when this modification is used, I prefer to provide the upper end of the cane A with two communicating chambers, L M, and a central pit, N, which chambers are concealed by the screw-threaded or other detachable head or cap, O, the latter having a small socket, I), in its under side, as seen in Fig.'5. R- is the square of the detachable point I. In the ordinary use of this modiiication of my`invention the screw-threaded shank g of the shoe G is engaged with the female screw K of the ferrule, as seen in Fig. 3, the detachable point I t' R being housed within the chamber L M at the upper end of the cane, as represented in Fig. 5. Reference to this illustration will show that the square R and point I occupy, respectively, the chambers L M and pit N, while the stem i of said point enters the socket P of cap O. Consequently said point is not liableto belost, and when it is to be applied to the cane the shoe G and cap or head O are unscrewed, the point I 'i R withdrawn, and its shank 'i engaged with the female thread lK, as seen in Fig. 4. The portions H G of the shoe can now be respectively seated in the chambers M L of the cane, and the shank g of shoe be caused to enter the socket l?.

lWhichever form of my invention may be of the detachable point I.V Furthermore,

adopted, it is apparent the device has as fin- IOO e amigas A blunt it can be readily sharpened up, or a new one may be substituted therefor. y

I am aware that it is not new to house a crutch-point within la metallic guardhaving at its lower end an india-rubber buffer, as such a device is seen in the patent issued to A. Bickel, May 16, 1865. Therefore my claim is notto be construed as an attempt to cover every form of guard for such points, but is expressly limited to the within-described shoe, made wholly of metal, having a female screw at its upper end, and being solid at bottom, to afford a durable bearing for the crutch or cane when the point is concealed.

I claim as my invention- 1. In combination with the cane-ferrule C, having a male screw, E, and point I, the shoe G, made wholly of metal and provided at top with a female screw, F, said shoe being solid at the bottom, to afford a durable bearing for the crutch when said point I is concealed, as herein described.

2. The cane A, having at its lower end a threaded ferrule, C K, for the engagement of 35 shoe G g or hard bearing-pointI, and at top the communicating chambers L M, for the reception of said shoe or point, said chambers being closed with the detachable head O, substantially as described. 4o

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

i CHARLES DEGENHART.

Witnesses:

J AMES H. LAYMAN, SAML. S. CARPENTER. 

